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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

vT. J. THORP.

ELEVATOR No. 495,234. Patented Apr. 11, 1893-.

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3 SheetsSheet 2. T. J. THORP. ELEVATOR.

(No Model.)

No. 495,234. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

(No Model.) 1 v3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. J. THORP.

, ELEVATOR. No. 495,284. Patented Apr. 11, 1893.

'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. THORP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE E. DAWSON AND JAMES C. THOMAS, OF SAME PLACE.

ELEVATO/R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 495,234, dated April 11, 1893.

Application filed January 28, 1892. Serial No. 419.531. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. THORP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Im provement in Elevators, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to an improvement in the class of elevators employed for passenger and freight service in buildings.

The objects of my invention are to provide an exceptionally strong and simple construction of elevator car, andto provide against accident to persons in entering'and leaving the car at landings by precluding the possibility of starting the car from a landing till the door has been closed, and that of opening the door till the car has reached a landing.

Referring to the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a broken view in perspective showing the elevator-shaft, car, car-supporting endless-chains and landing-door provided with means for opening and closing it and means for unlocking and locking it alternately with the car. Fig. 2 represents, by a side view and a front view, in elevation, a broken section of myimproved endless traveling chain. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a stop-yoke detail. Fig. 4 is an enlarged broken view in section showing the mutual locking and unlocking mechanism for the car and landing-doors. Fig. 5 is an enlarged view showing a broken section, in elevation, of my improved endless-chain at the jointed ends thereof. Fig. 6 is a View in elevation, diagrammatic in its nature, illustrating the joining detail for the ends of the chain to render it endless. Fig. 7 is abroken view showing a horizontal section of one of the similarly constructed corners of the car, illustrating its structure. Fig. Sis a view in side elevation of one of the chain-engaging stirrup-details, of which a vertical series is provided near each of the four corners of the car. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the mutually intermeshing driving drums, one of which carries the drive-chain pulley and each being on its shaft, shown broken away. Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the drive-chain pulley-carrying drum, the section being taken lengthwise of the drum-shaft.

A (Fig. 1) denotes an elevator-shaft provided at each of its four corners with a pair of hollow uprights B, each open along one face, and formed, preferably, as represented, with two angle-beams 1', braced with struts along one side as shown at p. Below the plane of the lowermost landing C, are supported in suitable bearings (not shown) the driving-shafts D and E, one at each of two opposite sides of the shaft A; and at or near the upper end of the shaft, are similarlysupported a driving-shaft D directly over the shaft D, and a driving-shaft E directly over the shaft E, the two former extending between the pairs of uprights B at one side of the shaft,and the two latter between the two similar pairs thereof at the opposite side of the shaft. Each driving-shaft carries a pair of peripherally recessed pulleys F, which I prefer to form, each, as shown, of two circularblocks n secured on the respective shaft to revolve with it and spaced sufficiently far apart to admit into recesses m, providedat intervals about the inner face of each, the rounded heads of the link-bars of the endless car-carrying chains, hereinafter described.

On the shaft D is a drum G (Fig. 9) carry- I ing at one end the drum-chain pulley G and provided in its periphery, at intervals, with transverse series of hemispherical depressions Z. On the shaft E is a drum H provided on its periphery with protuberances Z arranged to correspond with and adapted to fit into the depressions Z on the pulley G, the two pulleys being of the same diameter which is such as to cause them to abut and intermesh at their respective depressions Z and teeth or protuberances Z, when rotated by rotation of the pulley G when driven through the medium of the drive-chain (not shown) from the driving power (also not shown).

The form of endless chain K which I prefer to employ, by reason of its simplicity of construction, durability and strength is that illustrated. Each chain K is formed of two lengths of cable is, both passed by a halfhitch x, at intervals corresponding with those between the recesses m in the heads 71. of the pulleys F (which, as will be seen, are of the nature of sprockets) around link-bars 2', having on their opposite ends balls t" which fit the said recesses m.

To prevent the half-hitches a: from slipping at the link-bars 'i', I provide at each a yoke h, formed in two halves, as shown, between which in vertically aligning openings h (see Fig. 3) a cable passes, and is clamped firmly by bolts clamping together the two halves of the stirrup, the ends of which are thus caused to embrace, lengthwise of the cable, a halfhitch a; thereon.

To join the ends of each of the two cables 7c forming a chain K, thereby to render the latter endless, I provide a clamp L (Figs. 5 and 6) formed of two blocks g andf, preferably of the oval contour illustrated and having in their opposing flat faces, at opposite sides of the central bolt g, which is passed through both to clamp them together, diagonal channels 9 in which the ends of the cable fit and are clamped by bolting together the two parts 9 and f of the clamp L. This particular construction of clamp affords conveniently adjustable means for permitting the cable to be pulled taut whenever it becomes unduly slack, since the two parts forming it are readily separable on loosening their clamping-bolt, to permit taut-pulling of the cable at its ends, and as readily fastened together again for producing their clamping efiect.

M is the car, the construction illustrated, of which, is the preferred, but not the only one, which is suitable for use with my im- It is of rectangular form having provement. peculiarly desirable means for fastening together the frame-work N at each corner, com prising a metal combined strap and brace 0 extending thelength of the corner and formed with a socket e embracing to some distance an edge of the frame-work, a socket e similarly embracing the adjacent edge thereof and to that end extending at a right-angle from the socket e, and a triangular cornerbrace e fitting in the angle at the corner, and through which a timber filling is driven to strengthen it.

The car-frame fastening-means O, which for want of a better designation I term a combined strap and brace, is, as will be observed, formed from a single piece of metal, and enables fastening at the socket-portion e firmly in place by bolts 01 and (Z passing through it and the intermediate portion of the framev work, and at the socket-portion e by bolts d similarly applied, the bolts d and d likewise fastening the brace-portion 6 as shown in Fig. 7. The bolts (1 also serve to fasten, at

intervals longitudinally of the car near each corner, and corresponding with the intervals between the link-bars i in a chain K, teeth or pins P, preferably of the form shown most clearly in Figs. 7 and 8, whereby they are rendered concave, as shown at 'v, in their under sides the better to adapt them to engage with the link-bars. r

The nature of the view selected for Fig. 1 precludes the full representation therein of the teeth P on the car M, though sufficient to indicate that a vertical series thereof, the intervals between the members of which correspond with those between the link-bars of the chains, is provided along the car near each corner, two vertical series being thus pro vided on each of two sides, each series to be engaged by one side or length of an endless chain K.

At the landing O (or each landing) the shaft A is provided, as usual, with a door. The door R illustrated in Fig. 1 is supported to slide back and forth laterally, and for working it I provide on one (preferably the outer) side a rack-bar t engaged by a pinion t on a shaft 25 suitably supported to extend horizontally through a longitudinal slot i in the door and provided at its inner end with a lever, preferably in the form of a hand-wheel for turning it to revolve the pinion and thus slide the door to open and close it.

In order to prevent starting the car from a landing until the door has been closed, and opening the door till the car has been brought to a standstill at a landing, I provide a lock S (shown more in detail in Fig. 4) comprising a sliding bolt 0 supported in position on an upright B transversely between the door R and front side of the car M, in each of which is provided a bolt-opening or recess in alignment with the ends of the bolt when the door is closed and the car is at a landing. The bolt 0 is provided with ratchet teeth 0' in one side,with which engage the teeth of a pinion c on the end of a handle 0 and pivotally supported to produce such engagement, whereby turning the handle horizontally effects longitudinal movement of the bolt to engage the door and release the car, or the contrary, depending on the direction of sliding.

The manner and means for operating and controlling my improvedelevator may be old and well-known, and. are therefore not shown in the drawings and herein described, and because they will be readily understood and supplied by those skilled in the art to which my improvement relates. Thus the motive power may be steam, water, electricity or anything suitable; and brake and other controlling mechanisms may be provided according to desire.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An elevator-car M having its corners formed with combined straps and braces 0, each comprising sockets e and e and an intermediate internal corner-brace 6 substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. An elevator-car M, having its corners formed with combined straps and braces 0, each comprising sockets e and e and an intermediate internal corner-brace 6 bolts 01 and d fastening the devices 0 in place at the sockets, and vertical series of teeth P on opposite sides of the car near the corners, secured in place by the bolts d, substantially as described.

3. In an elevator, the combination with a 1anding-door and the elevator-car, of a lock S supported in the elevator-shaft and comprising a sliding ratchet-bolt a supported to extend transversely between and engage at opposite ends alternately the door and adjacent side 

